The Shadow of The Other
by aelisa
Summary: When Bellatrix was twenty-one and Sirius was sixteen, the Black parents agreed that their eldest offspring were to be married... Bellatrix/Sirius, implied Bellatrix/Voldemort.
1. Chapter 1

"Sirius

"Sirius!"

The ruggedly handsome teen growls huffily at his poster-clad walls as the shrill sound drifts through the cracks around his heavy oak door, and he wonders aloud what his mother wants now. Pushing his half-packed rucksack underneath his grand four-poster, Sirius Black turns and strolls out of his room and jumps the stairs three at a time until he's on the first floor.

He grins around at the shadowy walls of the parlour, thinking of nothing but his imminent freedom. This would be one of the last times he would see this hideous room, and the thought floods him with joy that threatens to pour from him uncontrollably. He hates it here.

"What?" He asks, halfway down the stairs that lead to a dusky – but spotless and pristine – kitchen. His parents turn in tandem to face him, similar looks of disapproval lining their faces.

"Don't 'what' me like that, boy!" His mother orders, causing Sirius to roll his dark blue eyes and jump the final four steps carelessly.

His landing is accompanied by an uncomfortable slapping noise of feet against concrete, and the sound nearly extinguishes Sirius's, "Yes, mother?" He tries his best to inject a note of interest into his voice, though he's not sure why he bothers. He'll be leaving here soon, and the need to be false will be erased.

Orion, Sirius's father, rises from his chair and places a hand on Walburga's shoulder, staring his son dead in the eye. "It has been arranged for you to marry your cousin, in order to ensure the survival of the Black fortune and blood." It's a plain, simple statement, yet it causes Sirius's blood to run cold and then ignite with the passion of a severely pissed off dragon.

"I don't think so, sir." He replies through gritted teeth.

"You have no option!" Walburga chimes in, harsh features seeming more pinched, angrier. "The wedding is to be held as soon as you graduate from Hogwarts."

Sirius snorts, "Is that so? Well, I wish you the best of luck, dearest parents, for I shall _not_ be attending!" And he shoots his parents the dirtiest looks he can force, before turning and sprinting up the stairs, not stopping until his bedroom door slams behind him.

Him, marry Bellatrix? About as likely as him staying in this hell house for the remainder of the summer. She was psychotic… Beautiful, but insane.

* * * * *

"Bellatrix!"

The witch arches an eyebrow lazily, continuing to apply crimson gloss to plump lips. Once satisfied that the substance was evenly spread and just bold enough, she rises from her stool and glides out of her room, mildly curious about what they want this time. However, agitation at being disturbed overrides this curiosity.

"Yes, mother?" She asks, standing in the doorway of the drawing room and moving her deep blue eyes between each of her parents. They simply look back at her, beaming, and she feels her patience beginning to slip, "You called me?" She adds, as if trying to shake them from their reverie.

"To announce your betrothal to your cousin!" The reply is slurred and excited, and Bellatrix blinks back at her mother slowly, who continues to dart her proud little smile at her eldest daughter. It made Bellatrix squirm in her stilettos. She looks to her father, who she's always been fonder of.

"My cousin?" She repeats, forcing an air of calmness into her words. "You wish for me to marry my cousin?"

"We believe it is the best way to ensure the continuation of the Blacks, and hopefully, it will help bring Sirius back onto the right path."

Bellatrix doesn't know whether to be glad or sorry that she's left her wand on her dressing table. "He is a _child_," She replies in an angry half-whisper.

"But he shan't be when he graduates. The wedding is set for that summer," Druella contributes, and Bellatrix quite fancies the idea of using the Cruciatus curse on her. Her Lord, who she was preparing to visit that evening, would be pleased that she'd practised, even if he advised her to use rodents and useless muggles, as opposed to her own family.

"I wish you the best of luck for the wedding, dear parents, but I shan't be attending!" Bellatrix snaps back, whipping out the room before they have chance to retort. She'd tolerated their useless instructions for long enough, but she had never been one to do exactly as they said.

Marry Sirius? The filthy little Gryffindor child? About as likely as her declaring her allegiance to Albus fucking Dumbledore. Handsome he may have been, but he was a filthy little coward…

Ah, how tragically alike they are.

* * * * *

"Prongs,

Hope you don't mind, but I'll be arriving earlier than planned. As in… tomorrow. I don't want to tell you in detail in a ruddy letter, but my parents want me to marry the psycho. Yep, Bellatrix.

I told them to fuck off, in a round-about way, so I think it's best if I don't hang around, just scarper asap. I've thought about what you said, about not telling Reggie, and I've decided you're right. I'll just leave at sundown tomorrow, while they're all scoffing their fat faces… speaking of which, I hope your parents have plentiful supplies of Bertie Bott's' and chocolate frogs to satisfy their new son.

Can't wait to get out of this hell hole!

Padfoot."

The owl who is delivering the hastily-penned note seems to dance through the air, channelling the happiness of the boy whose nickname was signed at the bottom of the scruffy scrap of parchment.

* * * * *

Her Lord has sympathy.

He understands that she cannot marry her cousin, understands that she's too good for him. "My, my. Dear Bella, marry a Gryffindor?" He says, back to her, leaving her desperate for him to look at her.

"Yes, my lord. I told them no, though. I wouldn't degrade myself in such a way."

"Quite, quite." He drawls lazily, running a long, pale finger over the spine of a black leather book, one of the hundreds along the vast, elegantly carved shelves. After a moment of silence, in which Bellatrix shifts awkwardly, he turns and raises an eyebrow effortlessly. "I don't suppose they took that answer well."

"I left before I had chance to find out."

"Running away, Bella?" He chuckles, the sound cold and cruel as he slithers towards his Death Eater, "so unlike you." Lord Voldemort looks down upon her like a predator.

Bellatrix smiles a little, liking the way he knows her so well, though she is quick to mask it with her reply. "No sir, I just didn't want to be late for our lesson."

Such a decorous way of referring to these little meetings. Bellatrix is, by now, a very able Death Eater, and there's nothing more of dark magic that he can teach her. "Wise." He replies easily. "You will visit your cousin."

He has confused her. He laughs.

"Don't worry, Bellatrix. You shan't marry him."

She believes him, and nods.

"Now, we had a lesson planned." She stands instinctively, reaching his chin, and smiles, resting one hand on his slender chest daringly.

She would visit her cousin. Tomorrow, at sundown.


	2. Chapter 2

He would have to leave using the front door

He would have to leave using the front door. His bedroom window is small, and he is on the top floor. Nice view of mainstream London; nice view of his captivity. He lives in a fairytale, does Sirius Black, a fairytale that he is desperate to bring to a close; he will do this tonight. He will burst out of it the moment he closes his front door behind him. The thought makes him shudder with pleasure.

His bedroom door swings open silently. He probably would've done his victory dance prematurely, had the brass handle not knocked against the intimidating wooden cabinet that stood behind the door.

Sirius freezes.

Bellatrix closes the door, turning away from him to do so. Quite unnecessary.

She turns to face him, silent, lethal and beautiful. His head screams at him, a mixture of 'siren', 'whore', 'run' and 'she's my [i]cousin[/i]!' The latter seemed to always nag at him when Bellatrix is in close proximity, but there again, many thoughts – traitorous and vicious – ran through his head when he passed his eyes over his eldest cousin's form.

She was a woman. Not like all the others he'd been with; they were all girls. Uninteresting, undeveloped little girls. Bellatrix's figure was full, all voluptuous curves, plump breasts and legs that were too long. She blinks at him for what seems like minutes, her fiery gaze unwavering, determined. Strong, just like her. He's not stupid enough to believe she's not dangerous. Automatically, his gaze lowers to her left arm, the soft-red light of sunset reflecting in his blue eyes. Pure blood disappearing within dirty water.

"What do you want?"

"Going somewhere?" She asks, ignoring his question and stepping into the room, moving her eyes from his only to glance at the stuffed rucksack lying unzipped on the grand four-poster.

"Why are you here?"

Bellatrix sighs, moving past Sirius slowly, brushing her arm against his as she goes. Her dark hair ripples behind her as she sits down, half-turned away from Sirius as she pokes around the topmost items of the rucksack. "Looks like you're going away for a long while, little cousin." Her statement is simple, innocent, yet he knows she knows. That flare in her eye tells him so.

"Stop ignoring me!" He snaps agitatedly, fed up of her indifferent attitude. She came here this evening, she came to him. The cracking noise of his voice causes her to lift her chin slowly, smirk rolling across her face. "What do you want?" He repeats, determined not to break her steely gaze.

Bellatrix sighs, and all of a sudden, she's too close to him. He continues to look back at her, their eyes level. He will grow to be taller than her; she has stopped growing, and he has not. "I wanted to see you. Make sure we're both disagreeing with our parents about our betrothal." She quirks a brow at him challengingly.

Sirius snorts, stepping past her to gather more non-existent items and stuff them into his overflowing bag. Strange, that everything he will own, in an hour or so, will be in this old sack. "Don't flatter yourself, Trixie," he glances over his shoulder, equalling her arched brow, "I want to marry you even less than you want to marry me."

"Unlikely!" She exclaims, her cool façade abandoned for a second, and the light of the sunset bounces against her raven locks, and he is reminded that she is beautiful. But too fucking deadly. "You're a filthy little Gryffindor, as good as a blood-traitor," she states, her air of calm returned, running one hand through her hair with a slight air of coquettishness to the action. She is challenging him. "And, by the looks of it, you'll be that, too. Soon."

He doesn't deny it, merely blinks at her for a moment. The sky outside waves to him, and he cannot wait to taste the air. Little effort, however, drags his attention back to the vixen at his side. She is not about to back down, he realises, so draws himself up to his full height and stares her in the eye once more. "I have this funny feeling, Bellatrix, that I shan't be missed. Being the 'filthy little Gryffindor' of the family that I am." He smirks.

She kisses him. Not on the cheek, where it could be considered an innocent and proper kiss goodbye, and not for a split second, where it could have been brushed off as an impulse, spur-of-the-moment thing. It was on the lips, full and open-mouthed and unabashed, at least on Bellatrix's part. Sirius stands still, unmoving in his shock. He's ashamed of himself; he should have seen this coming. Two words: Bellatrix Black. "What the hell are you doing, you whore?!" He demands, pushing her away from him.

Bellatrix sees the well-masked reluctance as he takes a step back from her, scowling. "Well, I thought that it was quite obvious, dearest cousin," and she cackles, and he is reminded that he hates her. He hates her, but she is so enticing. He stares at her for a moment, confusion hidden from the woman, but there. Damn her to fucking hell.

"It's not funny! You came to see if I agreed to disagree with my parents, I do. Thanks, Bellatrix, and goodbye." He finishes sarcastically, turning away from her and busies himself by straightening his bed-sheets and wiping a coat of dust from the table-top.

But she's still there, still laughing, and still beautiful. He hates her. She has moved to the window, and mutters in French. Sirius only understands 'au contraire'. Bellatrix is much brighter than she was given credit for, the male Black realises as he yanks the zip of his rucksack around. Perhaps it will break on his journey, but it won't matter… as long as he's out of here. Away from his family… away from her.

She is watching him. The room has darkened, and he thinks it is her presence. The sun is setting, but it is Bellatrix. "It's a shame."

"What is?"

"You."

She smirks momentarily, then runs her left hand through her hair. It's a habit of hers, but she does it on purpose. She also flicks her tongue over her lips deliberately, smoking eyes clenched onto him unblinkingly, purposefully. He rolls his eyes. "Going to run off and tell my mother I'm leaving, I suppose?" He asks, folding his arms across his chest in typical teen style.

"It's a shame." She repeats, right hand now stroking her left forearm. Sirius swallows and shakes his head. She's a lost cause; fucking insane, but too beautiful.

"You're the shame, Bella." He hadn't meant for it to come out, and it's not until Bellatrix is laughing and stalking towards him that he realises it has.

"How so?" She is too close again, hand on his chest as she stares at him. She makes him feel small, but he'd never admit that. Sirius doesn't push her away this time, but gives her a dark look that she inadvertently returns. "I'm making the family proud, Sirius."

He shakes his head, "That's not what I mean." He breaks her gaze for a second, sheepish and annoyed with himself. When she quirks a brow, he finds himself replying detachedly; "You're clever. You're a manipulative little bitch, but subtle… you know, when you're not stamping someone's head into a pavement," Bellatrix smirks, proud and appreciative. "And you're…" But he stops himself, making to move away from her.

But she stops him.

Her hand closes around his dark travelling cloak and she has strength enough to hold him in his place. "Go on," she whispers darkly, "you can say it." She stares at him for a moment longer, then grins, "But you won't. No matter, Sirius, I know."

"We could have done with you." He finishes, though they both know that isn't what he wished to say.

"We?" She cackles once more, though her grip is unyielding, "So that's it, then? You're not an us anymore, you're a them." Statement. Accurate statement. He nods his confirmation all the same. He thinks she is going to spit at him; she breaks his gaze, and when her eyes are returned to his, they almost burn him, almost hurt him.

Almost.

Still, the silence smarts. He tells himself it is not her touch, not her eyes, that's causing the fiery eruption at his navel – it is simply the silence. He wants to say something to break it, but no words can be summoned. The witch is clearly thinking about something; her eyes stare at him, yet they are elsewhere.

Sirius laughs, just to stir her back to reality; he knows she won't ask. Bellatrix stares at her cousin as if this was the first time she had truly seen him. Her jaw slackened a little, she sighed out her breath, quiet and accepting, then broke the stare. "I can only presume that your delight is because this is likely to be the last time you see me, dear cousin."

Yet they both knew that was not true. They would see each other again, through flashes of violent light, blurs of robes, lowered hoods and hollow, icy masks. They both knew Sirius would join the Order of the Phoenix, and that by doing this, he and Bellatrix would have to fight. Gone were the times of cruel but harmless hexes, hair-pulling, slaps across the face in the corridors… No. Soon, Sirius would join the battle. It would not be a game.

But Bellatrix was determined to win this last one.

She watches for a moment as his eyes travel around the room, before walking her fingers up his chest, sliding them past his neck and using them to turn his face towards her. "You _will_ miss me, Siri'," she grins, "You'll never admit it, not to anyone. Not even to yourself." She pauses, nails grazing his strong jaw as she stares at him, "The same can be said for a lot of things. You need to grow up, ickle cousin. You need to start… admitting things to yourself."

"You are bonkers, Bellatrix. Absolutely fucking insane." Her laugh only serves to prove his point. It is high and cold, piercing… She shrugs whilst reminding him that she is right, saying that he's avoiding the truth. "Yeah, you keep thinking that, Trix'."

"And you keep thinking that you're not, Siri. The truth is, no-one's fooled by it." She lowers her eyes and smiles, dropping her fingers to his chest. "I bet your mummy and daddy are downstairs as we speak, discussing how your vehement refusal to marry me really means that there's some," the harridan's eyes met her cousin's again as she dragged her fingertips down his torso, "passion, for me, somewhere around here." She laughed as she pressed down on his abdomen, aware that a horrible writhing would be occurring below the skin that was beneath her artful touch.

Sirius kissed her just to shut her up. He knew she would've been expecting him to deny it furiously, as he had been everything this evening. This way, he could shock her, and though her lips burned against his own, he crushed them down harder. Hopefully, her lips would bruise and her darling mother would knock her about a bit for behaving in such a promiscuous, unladylike manner.

"No, I did not just prove your point, you little bitch," Sirius snapped before Bellatrix could say even catch her breath. "It appears that the only way to shut you the fucking hell up is to_ make_ you. Now excuse me, I must go and wash my mouth out with soap, and then, I'll be off. I really hope you have a repulsive life. God knows you deserve it."

As Sirius's knocked his cousin on his way past, she jolted back to earth, furious and confused. When did he gain control of the situation?! She whipped around, ample chest heaving in the strange fusion of the kiss's aftermath and her fury. Bellatrix, acting – as always – on impulse, pursued her younger cousin with animalistic speed, pulled him around and pressed her wand to his throat. He laughed, laughed in the face of an insulted, confused Death Eater. Sirius Black never did know when to stop.

"Come on then, Trixie. Let's see what clever little jinxes old Vold' has taught you." In life, each person eventually reaches the point where they are so tired that they stop caring about what happens to them. Sirius had reached this point; his recklessness in the face of death himself emerged from his hopelessness. Of course, he wanted to get a rise out of cousin Bellatrix for the last time, leave her life on a high. If she killed him now, he would die knowing that he'd had the upper hand over Bellatrix Black. And oh, that was worth dying for.

For a moment, Bellatrix stared at her cousin, the light in her eyes burning intensely, as if she wanted to rip out her cousin's tongue and pray to her Lord for peace on her abused and loyal ears. No servant should had to hear his name uttered by someone so unworthy, so filthy. Only for a moment did Bellatrix stare at her cousin. "_Crucio!"_

Amidst the agony, Sirius felt a strange sense of satisfied curiosity. This was what it felt like. He was aware that Bellatrix was clinging to his hair, holding him up, aware that her face bore a look of pure malignance, aware that his lips were whimpering.

"You, dear cousin, amuse nobody but yourself. Your stupidity will only take you to similar places," she muttered something under her breath, a rapid, chanting tirade that Sirius's ringing ears could not understand. "I see you're happiness to disrespect my lord has worn, somewhat. Good." She let go of his hair and his legs gave up the fight. His body was helpless as he stared up at Bellatrix, but his mind would never give up the fight.

Her eyes scanned him once more, took in his odd angle, his messy hair, his deep, beautiful anger-filled eyes, and she hated him. "It really is a shame, Sirius."


End file.
